Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Chalk Paint Experiment

Chalk paint has been popular for some time now. I've used it on a couple of wooden chairs with good results. Recently someone asked me if I thought it would work on metal. Research on the net says it does.I wanted to try it myself before answering. I looked around for something metal to experiment with. I save metal cans to hold brushes and mix paint. There it was, metal for my paint project.

Getting set. Somewhere I read that chalk paint works best on metal if you thin it a bit with water. That is what I did and I'm ready to go.

One coat and waiting overnight to dry.

Second coat - but not waxed.

What did I learn? Chalk paint sticks to metal. It has the advantage of no sanding or priming. It covered well (with 2 coats). It didn't rub off. I didn't really like the dull finish that much. I may wax it later. I'll use the can for holding pens and pencils on the art table and see how it holds up.

If you have used chalk paint on anything I'd be interested to know how you like it. Share any tips you might have.

Your holder looks great, I love the colour you chose 😁. I've used chalk paint before and it seems to pretty much cover anything - I love it! I have painted furniture for my craftroom, an old metal chandelier and wall lights, as well as various other bits and pieces including wooden glass holders for my hubby's beer stand 😁. I like the distressed look you can achieve with it and find it so easy to use, and as such my tips are:- you just need to clean the surface of the item your painting with a cloth, no other prep is really needed - when applying it to wood it's best to dilute the first coat of paint with water as the wood tends to absorb the paint- applying this paint thinly rather than thickly is better if you plan to distress the item, it makes it easier to sand with wirewool or sandpaper. And it's easier to apply another coat of paint if needed.- using two different colours is fun if you are going for a distressed look. Applying an undercoat or just patches of another coloured chalk paint along the edges where you are going to sand works really well as it shows through when sanded.- using wax on the chalk paint seals it so it's more hard wearing and waterproof. The wax also enhances the colour and finish of the piece.I always enjoy using chalk paint and I enjoyed seeing your project, hope you post more 😁. Happy painting and enjoy your week! J 😊

Been wanting to try it, Oldest son did some furniture with it and turned out great. I even bought some before we moved!(hope I can find it now LOL) Now you've peaked my interest in it again, and all Jo's tip are great.Love the color for your pencil holder.